Trustee returns to view from top

Deirdre Newman

NEWPORT-MESA -- The new school board president is a seasoned veteran

who says she is focused on building consensus and teamwork.

Judith Franco was unanimously elected Dec. 11 to serve as the school

board president for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District for the

fourth time in her 20 years on the board.

Her election followed a controversial move by trustee Wendy Leece, who

took her desire for the presidency into the public domain, even

submitting a lengthy letter to the Daily Pilot for publication. Leece was

rejected for the role by some of her fellow trustees who accused her of

not being a team player.

Franco said the tension did not cause an irreparable rift within the

board.

“We are a team, and we will continue to be a team,” Franco said. “As

in any family, we have disagreements, but we’re still a team, and I think

you will see that happening throughout the year. We will move forward.”

Past school board President David Brooks praised Franco’s management

skills.

“I totally support her as president. She brings a lot of experience,

insight and leadership skills to the position,” Brooks said.

Franco was appointed to the school board in 1980 and has shepherded

four sons through the school system.

She says she has seen the pendulum swing back and forth throughout her

two decades of service.

“We went from being big to being small to growing again,” Franco said.

“And we’ve seen a shift from phonics-based [education] to non-phonic back

to phonic.”

Some of the major issues facing the district in the next year include

implementing grade-level standards for kindergartners through

12th-graders, overseeing the facilities improvement plan and dealing with

expected mid-school year budget cuts in January.

“We will continue to watch the changing economy,” Franco said. “I

think everyone is concerned about it, but we do not yet know what those

cuts will be and how much they will impact the district.”